Disclaimer: I'm not an NBA scout nor an expert on the NBA. I am merely using what other people are saying as well as some of my own thoughts and observations based on what I saw while watching NCAA basketbal and the NBA. I watch way more NCAA basketball than I do in the NBA. When I don't know about the foreign players, I will defer to the experts for the most part.
Atlanta Hawks: They had one pick in the draft and that was in the second round and the 18th pick in the 2nd round. Sports Illustrated listed their needs as a small forward, a point guard, and a center.
2 (18)- Keith Benson C Oakland
(6-11, 230) 17.9 PPG 10.1 RPG
Analysis: Second round picks usually don't pan out mainly because they're not guaranteed contracts when they are selected but also because usually they're not considered to be that good. With that being said, you can easily fill out the last part of your team with 2nd round picks and see where they develop. Chad Ford stated in a podcast that there was a lot of value in this draft after the lottery because there is a lot of players who are similar in the 20's and in the 2nd round.
Keith Benson does help the Hawks need to get more size. However, Benson needs to fill out more as he is only 230 pounds. If he hits the weight room and all of those cliches he will hopefully be able to give them the size that they need. He was able to rebound and score against lesser opponents but he had problems with defense. I think it is a pretty solid pick because he is the exact type of player you want to select in the 2nd round because he has potential to become much better then he is right now.
Another pick that could have made sense: 1. Josh Selby PG Kansas- I acknowledge that there is certainly some character problems with Selby as well as questions about whether or not he can be less selfish. I think he will be a great pick especially considering that he was a 2nd round pick. 2. Isaiah Thomas PG Washington- I also think Thomas will have a nice career as a point guard. Although, he is a bit undersized so some consider him a liability on defense, if you're looking for offense at the point guard position, you could do a lot worse than Thomas. 3. Jereme Richmond SG/SF Illinois- There is some character issues, as well. Richmond might be able to hit his potential and Sports Illustrated listed him as a potential late 1st/early 2nd round pick. I didn't like Richmond that much.
They said it: Sports Illustrated listed center as a need but Sam Amick the NBA draft guru for Sports Illustrated said "And clearly they had laser focus when it came to getting a big man, which is pretty odd for a team that's not lacking in that very category."
Overall: I like the pick more than most and I think Benson has a very good shot of making the roster and sticking on it. I thought Benson had potential as a late 1st round pick, especially in a weak draft class. I thought the Hawks did a good job selecting a center. The only player that I thought might be better than Benson that made sense for them was Josh Selby.
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